20th Century Interpretive Dance Poetry
Basic Movement Dance has continuously been a method of expression for speaking visually, of joy, love, fear, pain, anger, despair, death, etc., as poetry does through writing. Dancing and Poetry are rudimentary, timeless forms of human expression. To bond Dance and Poetry at its simplest is to allow the body to express itself rhythmically. The body moves, swings, turns, dips and rises, rejoices, exhilarates, and collapses, just as a poem would. Movement has become an instrument for artistic expression elevating Interpretive Dance Poetry into a form of fine art. Interpretive Dance Poetry offers consciousness of the mind, body, and soul, self-expression, and attitude. Interpretive dance is not a entirely new term in dance vocabulary. It dates to ancient times where dance expressed the very essence of human existence, experience, and perception. Those who danced then were dancers by birthright. Today, not much has really changed, except that the twenty first century is providing the dancer with issues of different personal and social complexities to work through, conceptualize, and translate into an art form of movement. In a pre-inter view to the film, “Poetry in Motion,” Charles Bukowski states: “…Poetry itself contains as much energy as a Hollywood industry, as much energy as a stage-play on Broadway. All it needs is practitioners who are alive to bring it alive. Poetry has always been said to be a private hidden art not appreciated. The reason poetry is not appreciated is because it hasn’t shown any guts, it hasn’t shown any dance, it hasn’t shown any moxie…” Interpretive Dance Poetry interprets feelings and emotions into movement and dramatic expression combined. Ezra Pound, one of the great American poets, voiced the connection of poetry, music, and dance when she stated, "When poetry strays too far from music, it atrophies. When music strays too far from dance, it atrophies.” From Pound’s statement and the one made by Bukowski, it seems to be expressed that there is no reason to not merge poetry, music, and dance as one art form. They are art forms that portray human existence, knowledge, and sensitivity articulated in the different languages of the arts. One art practice stimulates the other; they are interconnected. Research There are several instances where the research has shown that art can interpret words and create meaning, but none have successfully stated that dance can provide a visual for the poem being recited. In an online newspaper from The University of Salford Manchester Research, the writer published a piece publicizing The Judson Dance Theater in New York. The theater was being given praise for its 50th year anniversary for their pioneering studio who championed the concept of multi-disciplinary arts, including Interpretive Dance Poetry. The journalist interviewed Dr. Scott Thurston, a professor from The University of Salford, who attended the 50th Anniversary of the dance theater. Thurston states, “There was a period in the 60s and 70s when experimental poetry was more visible…but it’s been ‘underground’ for the last 40 years.” Thurston goes on to further state that he plans to take a deeper dive into the history of this genre and art form because it seems to be crossing international waters. He praises the movement as being part of a new art form, one that definitely needs to be explored in order to gather important information. Not only has Interpretive Dance Poetry made an impact in international waters, but it has created a great impact here on United States soil. From research gathered on this art form, there is currently about five organizations that are dedicated to publicizing this art form in the best way possible. After several tries on the web for organizations dedicated to this fine art, I was surprised and pleased to find that there are several people who are willing to do whatever it takes to see this new art strive. Performance Studies Performance Studies is the academic field with the study of performance in any of its various forms. The term 'performance' is broad, and can include artistic and aesthetic performances like concerts, theatrical events, and performance art; sporting events; social, political and religious events like rituals, ceremonies, proclamations and public decisions; certain kinds of language use. Consequently, performance studies is interdisciplinary, drawing from theories of the performing arts, anthropology and sociology, literary theory, and legal studies. Performance Studies has been challenged as an emerging discipline. Many academics have been critical of its instability. Contributors Ntozake Shange From Pound’s statement and the one made by Bukowski, it seems to be expressed that there is no reason to not merge poetry, music, and dance as one art form. They are art forms that portray human existence, knowledge, and sensitivity articulated in the different languages of the arts. One art practice stimulates the other; they are interconnected. In the same film Bukowski was quoted in regards to poetry, Ntozake Shange, famous 1970s African American Poet, was featured. What was most surprising about her feature was the fact that she combined her piece. In a ballet studio, Shange recited her poem to the charismatic rhythm of a piano. In between the space of her the piano, two ballet/jazz dancers were dancing an interpretation of her poem. The performance was balanced. Not one art form over powered the other. It was a flowing movement as is the piano was meant to be a part of the poem, the poem to the dance, the dance to the piano. The dancers glided to the sound of the piano and flowed to the sounds of the words off the page. It was a system-an art movement- moving as one. From the strenuous amount of research that has been put forth to find concrete evidence, as far as history of Interpretive Dance Poetry, the oldest documented performance has thus far been the 1982 film, “Poetry in Motion,” where Shange is recorded to be engaging in this art form. Ellyzabeth Adler Ellyzabeth Adler is the founder of The Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble. She founded the company in 2001 in hopes to bring change to the world around her, calling her work "performance with a purpose." The company’s first project was a revision of T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland. The recital brought to life Eliot's poetry with movement and physical theater while embedding “the concepts of facing fear of emotional rejection, fear of death, and regret of what could be, and the peace that comes with a form of enlightenment.” Incited by their successes, Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble is still currently re-making different performances based on the several perspectives of the poem by Eliot, as well as starting other non-profit activities for children. Diana Taylor Diana Taylor is a University Professor and professor of Performance Studies and Spanish at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University as well as the founding director of the Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics. She is a contributor to the area of Performance Studies in the Americas, her work focuses on Latin American and U.S. theater and performance, performance and politics, feminist theater and performance in the Americas, Hemispheric studies, and trauma studies. Organizations The website DancingPoetry.com is devoted to promoting awareness for their annual Dancing Poetry Festival. They have been dedicated to spreading this new art form for the purpose of advancement in this field. Along with many supporters for the growing popularity of this Art, Natica Angilly's Poetic Dance Theater is a company who is at the helm of this advocacy in California and is sponsored by Artists Embassy International, which is a nonprofit organization committed to sponsoring intercultural indulgent and peace for the universal language of the arts. DancingPoetry.com gives news and upcoming events associated to Artists Embassy International, Natica Angilly's Poetic Dance Theater Company, the Annual Dancing Poetry Contest, and the Annual Dancing Poetry Festival, which currently takes new applicants every year the 15th of May. Another company with the same goals is The Pillow Project. Founded in 2004 by Pearlann Porter, the Pillow Project Dance Company, former name, began as a group of dancers, visual artists and musicians. In the beginning, they were a variety of original short works in abstract mixed-media shows by combining dance, graphic design, video projection and live music. In 2006, The Pillow Project became the permanent company and recreated its mission to experiment with dance presentation through reinventing how dance is practiced. The Pillow Project quickly became a small band of mixed media artists operating under a new improvisational inspired organization. Much like the famous poet, Amiri Baraka, Jazz is a practiced method of innovative poetry. Jazz is the muse that feeds the poem which feeds the rhythm and beat of the movement of the interpretive dancers. In one popular performance by Pillow Project, a man and a woman are gently waving their bodies like a gentle wave to the movement of the music and poem while smoothly transferring a cigarette back and forth to each other during the performance. Such a performance is very provocative for the soul due to the seductive nature of the man and woman sharing a smoke, to the black and white cinematography, and the sensual flowing jazz music to move along the beat. Bibliography Adler, Ellyzabeth. Ellyzabeth Adler. n.d. Web. 22 November 2014. IMBD Poetry In Motion . October 1982. Web. 22 November 2014. IMBD Poetry In Motion . Charles Bukowski. October 1982. Web. 22 November 2014. IMBD Poetry In Motion . Ntozake Shange. October 1982. Web. 22 November 2014. Schechner, Richard. Performance Studies: An Introduction''. Third . New York: Routledge, 2013. Print.'' Staff. Hemisphearic Intsitute . 2013. Web. 22 November 2014. "University of Salford Manchester ." n.d. Perspectives Magazine . Web. 22 Novemver 2014.☁